Charles Young became both the first United States Military Attaché to be posted to Haiti and the Dominican Republic and also the first Black American Military Attaché in the history of the United States.
Young was very valuable to America in foreign posts because of his excellent command of foreign languages. He spoke fluent French, German, and Spanish and was so very gifted in linguistical skills that he even compiled a French-English-Creole dictionary and grammar book for the United States military during his assignment in Haiti. This painstakingly prepared book was never published and now is in the library of the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
When Young arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with his new bride Ada, whom he had recently married in Oakland, California, a Haitian newspaper reported that Young's presentation of his official papers to Haiti's president, Nord-Alerts, at the National Palace was accepted with great pleasure by the president who spoke of Young as "a handsome Black with distinguished bearing and charming manners."
As an expert mapmaker, while in the Dominican Republic, Young covered most of the island on horseback mapping many remote and previously uncharted sections. He sent back to the Army War College voluminous reports on the country, its people, the government, agriculture, armed forces and customs. Unfortunately, many of these papers were destroyed by the Army in 1925. Nevertheless, parts of Young's monographs on Haiti were used by the U.S. Marine occupation forces in 1915 and a few of his maps are still in the National Archives.
It should also be understood that at that time, while in Haiti, Young was not only an ambassador but also an intelligence officer. Though he was to make many Haitian friends during is assignment, his departure was abrupt and bittersweet. For while away from his office on a reconnaissance mission, Young's clerk broke into and stole confidential papers from Young's files. Consequently, this theft of classified documents and breach of security put Young's safety at risk, and he soon received orders to return to the United States.
YOUNG'S BOOK
During his Haitian tour, Young completed the first draft of his book, Military Morale of Nations and Races that he dedicated as "Homage to Country" in the book's forward dated November 23, 1906, Port-au-Prince. However, Military Morale was not published until six years later after many revisions.
Though the content of his book contains some now outdated, turn-of-the-century theories of military and cultural relationships, within the book's forward you will find little known insights into Young's beliefs and world views concerning racial discrimination...insights that heralded the emergence of his views concerning racial equality. In addition, within the forward to his book, I found that very often his views on the nature of military valor, courage, bravery, and intrepidity can be used as insightful allegories of life situations today. Therefore, I have some of his views, as quotes, in some of my commentary that follows.
While in Haiti, Young also began writing a drama of the life of Haiti's revolutionary, former slave, and legendary leader, Toussaint Loverture.
